Today is a totally free day so we have a very leisurely breakfast then gather up the clothes we plan to have made. Hoi An is an absolute mecca for having tailoring done and we actually met one lady who arrived (from Shepparton, and knew people Tyrell did from when she was a student teacher there!) with just a carry on bag and bought a suitcase here to take home all she was having made. The place which has been recommended to us is called Yali and as luck would have it is just one block from our Resort.
I am only having trousers made here as they tell me they don't have the fabric for the other things I have brought. They say they are unable to do one of Tyrell's items too, so we move on, although they are making a number of things for us combined. Later in our Hoi An sojourn we discuss the Yali thing and all agree they are only interested in things they may be able to on-sell. They are not interested in any way to duplicate anything they may not be able to offer in the future and therefore can't be bothered to make a pattern for it. They have absolutely tons of catalogues to browse through but it really looks like they are catering to the "corporate" wardrobe clients. Their loss, as we find other places to make the "öne-of's".
The prices we are being asked to pay for things in the market is so cheap it is almost embarrassing to barter. Tyrell and I each buy a set of chopsticks in a beautiful wooden box and know we have probably paid 3 times what we should have. But this is still early in the piece and we haven't hit our straps yet (and we really liked them!). Not so Rob! The lady at the stall opposite the chopsticks rip off obviously thinks we are easy targets and thinks she can get in on the act. Picked the wrong target when she tried to charge Robyn 1 million 200 thousand dong for 5 hair clips - the ones you'd only pay $3 tops for in Coles or Woolies, so her asking price of over $50 got the hackles up big time!
It was quite entertaining to watch Rob tell this woman to rack off, no WAY was she paying that. This woman chased us for quite some way (probably didn't want to lose face) and eventually accepted 200,000 (about $10) and it didn't take a translator to tell us we were being called some rather insulting names! After a bit more browsing Rob headed back to the hotel, Tyrell went in search of another tailor she'd been told about and I headed off to find the lady who earlier had offered to scrape Grand Canyon off my heels for only $5.
My little sojourn ended up quite profitable for a number of people in this paticular narket. During my foot scrape a "cousin" came along and offered a neck & shoulder massage ($5). Why not! The foot scraper also offers to wax my legs ($5) using strands of cotton. Quite ingeneous and absolutely painless! Then she gives me a foot massage. Guess how much! Yep, $5!! !!
So then I was dragged off to a friend's shoe store. arrange to have 2 pairs of ballet flats made (no, not $5!) but no money changes hands so if I don't like I don't pay. Next stop is a tailor. Can't hurt to ask if she can duplicate the top Yali weren't interested in. Of course Madam. How about the pants I wearing. Of course Madam. I leave a deposit which cleans ot my wallet so I think I can't be dragged anywhere else. Think again! "You come look in my shop now Madam". "But I have no more money." "No problem, you just come look."
I end up with a set of placemats from one shop and 4 silk scarves from another - all on credit! "No problem Madam, you pay me tomorrow." I have to come back tomorrow to collect my shoes and clothes so I figure they will know as soon as I step foot in the market as news spreads fast (about suckers) so I won't be able to leave without paying what I owe.
I get back to the hotel around 3pm and meet the girls at the pool. We order only tonic water as we have the gin cleverly disguised in a water bottle!
A relaxing few hours then showers before heading back into the old quarter to find a venue for dinner. Back to the hotel and bed by 9pm. Pat would be proud
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